In 1984 V/Line was desperately in need of motive power for grain haulage and it made a deal with Clyde Engineering and Australian National (AN) to purchase five BL Class which AN had on option at that time. In late 1984 Clyde’s Rosewater plant delivered the first of these five as G class numbered G511-G515, powered with the V16 EMD 645E3B diesel engine with 3000HP/2237kw power for traction. Over the next 5 years 28 additional G Class were delivered, numbered G516 - G543. These were more adapted to VLine requirements, the most significant of which was the change from the AR16 alternator to the cheaper AR11 with its undesirable transition lurch at about 20kph. Other changes included reduction in the fuel tank size to 9600L and slightly different body work to suit maintenance and operational requirements. The final 18 members of the class were built at the old Martin & King plant and were fitted with 6 cylinder water cooled air compressors. The last unit, G543, featured ‘desktop’ style driver controls. In 1999 all of VLine’s freight assets were sold off to Freight Australia (FA) who in 2000 started repowering some of its G Class with the EMD 645F3B diesel engines, giving 3300HP/2460kw for traction. Then in 2004 Pacific National (PN) purchased FA and all the G Class, other than G516 and G534 which passed to QR National under a contractual agreement with Colin Roberts Transport (CRT), became PacNat equipment. Subsequently SCT picked up at least 9 second hand units and Southern Shorthaul Railroad (SSR) 2 units as PN began to retire some G class as it received newer locomotive types. In this presentation we will have a detailed look at both the outside and inside of the G Class and see them in rail service with all the above operators. Approximate run time: 101 minutes.
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